On the recordJune 23, 2020
the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks are the latest in a long history of violence against Black people in America, but thanks to the advocacy, thanks to the courage of their mothers and fathers and relatives and all of the civil rights leaders, the lawyers, those who are marching in the streets--and smartphones--everyone can finally bear witness to the violence that has been happening in our country at the hands of police. Now, let's be clear. This behavior is not new. Mothers have been crying over their dead children's bodies for generations, yet no one would listen. No one would listen. Emmett Till's mother had the courage, as a leader, to say: The world will listen when they look at my baby's body in that casket. Yet here we are, these many decades and generations later, and still we have not seen meaningful change in America on this subject. It is time we act. It is time we act. And let us be clear: Sometimes some of the most courageous and important work that has happened in this U.S. Congress has happened not because there was leadership in the body but because the people demanded it and they would not relent until their government and elected leaders and representatives listened to and answered their call for steps toward what we call a more perfect Union.…





